Wraiths and how to use them

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**Veryance**

Hey all, I can't quite decide how I should be using my wraiths. My last game I took them in canoptek harvest, which was cool but I felt like the mobility limitations on the spyder really hurt the wraiths, especially if I'd taken whip coils to get them into assault (I didn't, I took the beamers). I really liked the beamers cuz I was able to decimate some terminators that deep stuck nearby, but in assault obviously they weren't very good. The previous games I took them in a CAD, and used the coils but they seemed kind of lackluster in assault there too. So yeah, what should I be doing with these guys? Should i wraithflight straight over to a command unit or something? Thanks in advance!

**DirtyDeeds**

If I'm not mistaken, the Reanimation Protocol buff is a "pulse", meaning they only need to be close to the spyder at the beginning of your turn. Then you have the opportunity to shoot them forward. Also, don't feel bound to be that close, wraiths are still really hard for many armies to kill.

**Vineheart01**

Wraiths are pretty hard to use incorrectly. Theyre incredibly durable even before they got buffed - i always LOATHED seeing those damn things on the table and this is coming from a Tau player.

Remember, they ignore terrain when they move. Entirely. Dont move them in the open and they will almost always get the assault off when full strength and will decimate anything thats not a diehard melee star. Theyre bad against blobs of models, though, so keep them away from ork boyz lol

**GAdvance**

You felt they weren't very good in assault... what

The unit basically plays itself, point towards enemy with whip coils follow spyders as closely as possible and they'll do serious damage

**niv-mizzet**

"Not very good in assault"

Wat. Are you reading their stat line right? They hit like assault cannons at high initiative while being ludicrously tough.

1. Deploy wraiths forward with spyder either toe in cover ruins nearby or right behind wraiths for intervening cover.
2. Turn on RP. Full speed ahead towards target. As the wraiths pull ahead from the spyder, you can start Congo-lining the unit so you don't lose speed on the front and don't outpace the spyder on the rear.
3. Assault what you want, not what they want you to. Make the wraiths a thorn in their side, bullying their support units. Don't try to toe-to-toe invisible deathstars unless they are about to crash into your warriors on an important objective or something. Dance around the big units and go steamroll light tanks, devastators, tau pathfinders, whatever would probably die to 1 or 2 rounds of combat so the wraiths get free.

If you're having trouble playing wraiths, learn a little bit of math hammer so you know what targets you can KO in 2 rounds tops. Attack those units, dance around the others until they need to be engaged.

Also anecdotals are funny. You may feel like they aren't doing a lot of lifting, but If you compare your point investment to the cost of all the enemies that they are either killing, holding up, or soaking up multiple turns of fire from, you'll realize they are stupendous.

**Crazyterran**

Step 1: build wraiths

Step 2: Paint wraiths.

Step 3: place on table.

Step 4: get into close combat

Done.

**luke1705**

The only thing that wraiths are not very effective against is elite infantry (2+ armor). They'll rend and eventually things will die, but if the unit you're fighting against is fearless, the wraiths may get bogged down for a while. That being said, the beautiful thing about wraiths is that if they're getting tarpitted, it's usually by something much more expensive than they are so its ok. Even a knight can often be tarpitted by a single squad of 6 wraiths for many many turns.

**Veryance**

I got my wraiths tied up in a blob of veteran guardsman, so that's why I felt like they weren't doing much. I've only played 2 games with them so far

**Ghaz**

DirtyDeeds wrote:
If I'm not mistaken, the Reanimation Protocol buff is a "pulse", meaning they only need to be close to the spyder at the beginning of your turn. Then you have the opportunity to shoot them forward. Also, don't feel bound to be that close, wraiths are still really hard for many armies to kill.

Nope. They need to be in range when the ability is used, not just at the start of the turn.

**DirtyDeeds**

Ghaz wrote:
DirtyDeeds wrote:
If I'm not mistaken, the Reanimation Protocol buff is a "pulse", meaning they only need to be close to the spyder at the beginning of your turn. Then you have the opportunity to shoot them forward. Also, don't feel bound to be that close, wraiths are still really hard for many armies to kill.

Nope. They need to be in range when the ability is used, not just at the start of the turn.

So when is the ability used?

**GAdvance**

Yeah chuck the beamers in the bin mate and just use the whip coils, putting a heavy on such a capable assault unit is just.... uck

**Alcibiades**

GAdvance wrote:
Yeah chuck the beamers in the bin mate and just use the whip coils, putting a heavy on such a capable assault unit is just.... uck

They have Relentless in the Decurion.

**GAdvance**

Fair point, i'd forgotten decurion gave you that buff as well as the other 16 unnecessary ones

Still you lose out on hitting first which can be a pretty big deal

**Vector Strike**

Don't put the gun on the Spyder - you'll keep running with it as much as possible, to keep up with Wraith's pace

**krodarklorr**

GAdvance wrote:
Fair point, i'd forgotten decurion gave you that buff as well as the other 16 unnecessary ones

Still you lose out on hitting first which can be a pretty big deal

But having Distort weapons in an army that lacks AP 2 or Instant Death weapons is fairly nice.

**anticitizen013**

Ghaz wrote:
DirtyDeeds wrote:
If I'm not mistaken, the Reanimation Protocol buff is a "pulse", meaning they only need to be close to the spyder at the beginning of your turn. Then you have the opportunity to shoot them forward. Also, don't feel bound to be that close, wraiths are still really hard for many armies to kill.

Nope. They need to be in range when the ability is used, not just at the start of the turn.

They gain the ability at the start of the movement phase. After that they are free to do what they want (until the next movement phase, if they want to benefit from it again). Its funny because there is a bunch of other abilities as well but none of them are anywhere near as useful as RP.

This is a really tough formation to deal with too. 3+ and then a 4+ (with the right formation/detatchment) is very resilient.

**Ghaz**

DirtyDeeds wrote:
Ghaz wrote:
DirtyDeeds wrote:
If I'm not mistaken, the Reanimation Protocol buff is a "pulse", meaning they only need to be close to the spyder at the beginning of your turn. Then you have the opportunity to shoot them forward. Also, don't feel bound to be that close, wraiths are still really hard for many armies to kill.

Nope. They need to be in range when the ability is used, not just at the start of the turn.

So when is the ability used?

When it needs to be used, just like any other model that has one of those abilities. So if you use Shred, you would need to be within 12" of the spyder when It comes time to roll To Wound rolls in close combat. The only thing that occurs at the start of the controlling player's Movement phase is the choice of special rules.

**col_impact**

Ghaz wrote:
DirtyDeeds wrote:
Ghaz wrote:
DirtyDeeds wrote:
If I'm not mistaken, the Reanimation Protocol buff is a "pulse", meaning they only need to be close to the spyder at the beginning of your turn. Then you have the opportunity to shoot them forward. Also, don't feel bound to be that close, wraiths are still really hard for many armies to kill.

Nope. They need to be in range when the ability is used, not just at the start of the turn.

So when is the ability used?

When it needs to be used, just like any other model that has one of those abilities. So if you use Shred, you would need to be within 12" of the spyder when It comes time to roll To Wound rolls in close combat. The only thing that occurs at the start of the controlling player's Movement phase is the choice of special rules.

The rules disagree.

Spoiler:

**luke1705**

That's a point of some contention. No one can really say what RAI is, as effects can work both ways (needing to be in range or a "pulse" effect. RAW is no clearer, although my hunch (literally just that) is that GW intended them to need to be in range. Typically, when in doubt, I try to take the approach that gives wraiths the least power. Love em to death, but my wraithwing army is doing just fine without another buff

**DalinCriid**

The question is: How to play vs Wraiths.

**SicSemperTyrannis**

DalinCriid wrote:
The question is: How to play vs Wraiths.

I´m saying this as someone who plays with and against Necrons (as KDK).

VS Wraiths:

Snipe the spyder to get rid of the RP.

Tie them up as long as you can.

Force blind tests on them to cripple their hit potential, Warp Talons Warpflame strike for example or any other blinding weapon. Remenber whip coils are only active when they are attacking. They still make blind tests at ini 2

Throw in 1-2 Maulerfiends with lasher tendrils to reduce their number of attacks.

Pray.

With Wraiths:

Point them at something, that something dies.

**niv-mizzet**

col_impact wrote:
Ghaz wrote:
DirtyDeeds wrote:
Ghaz wrote:
DirtyDeeds wrote:
If I'm not mistaken, the Reanimation Protocol buff is a "pulse", meaning they only need to be close to the spyder at the beginning of your turn. Then you have the opportunity to shoot them forward. Also, don't feel bound to be that close, wraiths are still really hard for many armies to kill.

Nope. They need to be in range when the ability is used, not just at the start of the turn.

So when is the ability used?

When it needs to be used, just like any other model that has one of those abilities. So if you use Shred, you would need to be within 12" of the spyder when It comes time to roll To Wound rolls in close combat. The only thing that occurs at the start of the controlling player's Movement phase is the choice of special rules.

The rules disagree.

Spoiler:

Adaptive Subroutines: At the start of each of the controlling player’s Movement phases,
choose one of the following special rules: Fleet, Reanimation Protocols, Shred. The Canoptek
Spyder from this Formation, and all units from this Formation within 12" of the Canoptek
Spyder from this Formation, benefit from the effects of the chosen special rule until the start
of the controlling player’s next Movement phase.

Most "commonly accepted" rulings I can see the opposing argument and see how there is confusion. The spyder "pulse vs aura" one is one of the few rulings where I just can't see any justification in one side.

It clearly specifies "If conditions are met at time point 1, get ability. Ability lasts until time point 2." So it seems that regardless of any movement or even the spyder's death, the affected units should have the ability from time 1 to 1.99. I don't see any clause anywhere in the rule that allows for the removal of the ability early, even if you wanted to lose it.